Wild Raspberry Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

RBorsato

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +36.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark raspberry color with a full pink-ish head. Nice dark raspberry fruit aroma and flavor ! Not extract-like at all since it is real fruit ... yes, you can tell the difference BIG TIME ! Light-medium bodied and smooth.

A solid REAL fruit beer ! Awesome and addictive. Not cheap but well worth the extra $.

Per label: "fermented with hundreds of pounds of red and black raspberries"

Bottled: 2nd week of April (2003)
Tasted: 08/10/03

($7.99 / 6-pack)

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2003 14:52:42 | More by RBorsato

chOAKbarrell

Maryland

4.72/5  rDev +33.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Never mind the negative reviews, this is an impressive beer.

The deepest, darkest, lush-est red hue with a ring of very white bubbles around the top.

The raspberries are definitely present in the scent, except with this beer, it is not an overly sweet smell. It is deeper and richer and more complex. Makes you want to dive right in.

Amazing taste. The best way I can describe it is like Lindeman's Framboise lambic, without any sweetness. Just a deep, rich flavor where the black raspberries are a standout. The maltiness follows close behind and helps round out the fruit. Great aftertaste as well.

The mouthfeel is very supportive of the taste and holds up well.

This is my first Great Divide beer. Very, very impressive, and now I can't wait to try the other 2 singles I have from the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2006 22:52:18 | More by chOAKbarrell

LauraAlberts

South Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +30.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Ruby Tawny Colored

Smell: Raspberry Jam/Seed - Swiss Cheese

Taste: Dark Raspberry Jam. Tart. Rich Chocolate Covered Raspberry

Mouthfeel: Soft Tannins, sooths the palate. Very Smooth.

Drinkability: Very sessionable for a fruit beer. Awesome flavor. I highly recommend this to someone looking for something new and different that's well worth the price.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2009 17:29:46 | More by LauraAlberts

jazztoloc

Mexico

4.53/5  rDev +28.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint from a 355 ml bottle. The label is nice and makes the looking experience a lot nicer.

A: Light red and brown, nice white and creamy head. This is a beatiful looking beer.

S: A lot of fruit, citric, clean smell. Makes you want to keep your nose inside the glass.

T: The taste is smooth and clean but the taste of fruit stays in the mouth well defined. Nice balance between the fruit and the hop flavor.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation.

I am not a big fan of fruit beer, but this is so well balanced that you could drink it all night. You could call this a light beer when it's really a subtle one.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 20:06:48 | More by jazztoloc

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.43/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle, bottled 1st week of June, served in a pint glass.

A - clear, reddish/brown brew with a nice light pink head that fades to a thin layer, leaving some lacing.

S - very nice raspberry and malt aromas.

T - very good balanced 'fruit beer', enough malt flavor to let you know it's a beer with a gentle taste of real raspberries.

M - light, a bit fizzy, but not quite a flavored Zima.

D - I had this with spicy Mexican food as suggested on the GD website and it was very refreshing.*

* side note: I had 3 of these and they went down very easy.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2007 23:59:55 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Immortale25

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a signature Dogfish snifter. Says bottled on 9/31/11.

A- Wow, it actually looks red! A dark, deep ruby color actually. Starts out with a 1/4 inch head that sinks down to a white ring on the outside and a very nicely structured foam pattern on the inside. Great lacing that has islands of bubbles clinging and slowly sliding down the glass.

S- The obvious raspberry, but has a depth to it that almost resembles that of a red wine yet more sweet and light. That being said, I detect grape juice, raspberry puree and some hints of more earthy fruit such as elderberry or plum.

T- Ooh, the complexity continues. Very tangy but in a dark way. Obviously more malt was used in this than in a usual raspberry beer. Not surprised that there are real red and black raspberries used in this brew. I wouldn't expect anything less from Great Divide. This has the most full flavor of any raspberry beer I've drank.

M- Actually quite a light body considering the ever-present depth of the beer. Medium carbonation.

O- Of course Great Divide delivers the first absolutely legit raspberry beer I've come across. These guys don't come up short on anything.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 05:57:51 | More by Immortale25

SurlyDuff

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ahh,a nice unique brew to break up the monotony. This one suffers from BA-syndrome, which can be defined as follows [[BA-syndrome: any beer that isnt an impy stout, over the top ipa, or rare belgian will never rate higher than a B.]]

As always, I try to rate objectivly, and consider the style when applicable. Well. This is certainly a fruit beer. It pours a bright clear red-brown, almost fuscia, with not much head. There is ample carbonation in here though.

Aroma has some bitter/tart berries and some sweet berries, depending on how much you aggitate this vibrant elixir.

Aside from a mild saccharine twang in the aftertaste, this one is drinkable and very approachable. I enjoyed it plenty, and my little lady liked it (but liked the racer5ipa she was sipping on better). I mentioned her because this seems like the type of beer to coax wives, girlfriends, or non-beer drinkers onto. It's well balanced, not overly sweet or fruity.

The closest thing I can compare it to is raspberry iced tea with carbonation. It's a good drinker, and I wouldn't steer clear of this one. One of the most enjoyable fruit beers i've had. I went into it with decent expectations (ive liked GD as a brewer, but didn't care for fruit beers) and I came out impressed.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2008 00:59:21 | More by SurlyDuff

JDK

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice clear red/amber color but I did not get any head out of the pour.
Nice light fruity smell that is mostly from the rasberries
Very good medium mouthfeel. At first sip you get some nice carbonation and then a small blast of fruit flavor which is just right. The fruit taste quickly disappears with no lingering aftertaste.
My taste has never been for a fruit beer but this is an exceptionly good brew.
Hot summer days should only make this taste even better and I'm looking forward to having several in a session!

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2007 01:37:26 | More by JDK

Morey

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep ruby reddish-brown color with a white head that was nice at first, but it settled rather quickly despite my aggressive pour. There is some head retention though, and the color is beautiful.

The aroma is earthy (like all of the Great Divide beers I've tried thus far) coupled with a very pleasant raspberry smell.

This beer taste great! The earthiness goes so well with the flavor from the raspberries. Silky smooth going down, yet enough flavor lingers to make this way more satisfying than other fruit beers.

Mouthfeel is smooth and medium. Carbonation level is spot on.

This is one of the most sessionable beers that I've ever tried.

Morey's Bottom Line: My grade might seem high, but as far as this style is concerned, I doubt that it gets much better. Definitely exceeded my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2009 23:20:19 | More by Morey

unclejimbay

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The most hoppy fruit ale I have had to date. Hoppy character caught me by surprise, but welcome and enjoyable.

Beautiful ruby red in color. Excellent head, retention, and lace.
Deep fruit, caramel, subtle raisan and hop aromas.
Tastes as it smells with notable caramel, dark raspberry and hop flavors.
Medium+ body, medium carbo.

One of the best fruit beers I have had to date. Unique. Complex. Generally under rated and overlooked since it's a "Fruit beer". Well done IMO.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2010 19:50:38 | More by unclejimbay

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cranberry red in color, looks a lot like juice. Poured with a huge light pink colored head. Smells of a dry fruitiness, reminiscent of champagne. Taste is very different from many fruit beers I have tried. You can definitely tell that this was brewed with with real raspberries, as the raspberry essence is detectable, without tasting fake, like a jolly rancher. Very dry flavor, with some breadiness. An excellent refreshing fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2004 19:39:42 | More by TastyTaste

NitroGen

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

P: 12 oz. Dark Brown Bottle, Bottled 1st week in June according to the notched label.

+++Please note that this was tasted at 50 degrees, slightly warmer than recommended.

A: Dark cherry coke that is a tad hazy pour into a pint glass with an intense slight reddish foam head that lowers to a cover with no lacing.

S: Berries, BERries and more BERRIES… slight malt and alcohol fumes on the back end.

T: Tart berries that wake up the tongue with a subtle and pleasant smooth fruit and grain aftertaste.

M: Smooth mellow simply superb! Slight carbonation and tartness of the fruit and subtle malt retreat leaving a crisp dry tongue of tart berries.

D: If this were labeled as a Great Divide Raspberry Lambic at DOUBLE the price, I would gladly buy it, drink it and serve it sparingly to good friends looking to check out what can be done with beer.
I will be buying all that I see in the stores.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2007 06:59:18 | More by NitroGen

CheapHysterics

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured a beautiful deep reddish color with a small head that rapidly dissipated. I'm not docking it points for the lack of head or lacing because it looked so pretty in the glass.

Smelled deliciously of raspberry, with a little maltiness in the background.

Mouthfeel was a nice medium body, typical of a quality ale.

The flavor was absolutely delicious for a fruit beer. Not too tart, not too sweet, not so fruity that you couldn't taste the malt and hops, but not so beery as to cover up the fruit flavors. Everything just seemed to be in the perfectly balanced proportions.

A lot of fruit beers leave me unimpressed, but I would seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2009 00:07:11 | More by CheapHysterics

JISurfer

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I thought that this was a nicely done ale. It had some heavy characteristics of a fruity beer, but the taste wasn't too over powered by it. This made it all the more enjoyable for me. I thought it was pretty creamy too, so it went down rather easily and smoothly, with no "burning" on the throat. The smell was pretty strong with fruit, ie raspberries, and had some elements of malt and wheat. The taste was similar, in that it had all the aforementioned qualities, but niether was stronger than the other, which balanced it out quite nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2004 02:57:57 | More by JISurfer

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this in a variety pack with titan IPA, Denver Pale Ale, and the Hibernation ale.

A - Well the "ruby red" label is well described as the actual color. Nice brewers honesty.
S - I can pick up some bread malt along with fruit but only faint smells.
T - Pretty addicting. The raspberry flavor is balanced and is constant with every sip but not candy or imitational like most fruit ales.
M - Highly drinkable and considering the ABV is higher than Lenne's Berry weiss this is my new favorite fruit beer,
D - Where my PA 6 pack hookup? The only way I can get this stuff is in a variety case. Regardless a pretty bomb fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 10:11:32 | More by DrDemento456

goochpunch

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Apperance: Ruby body w/ a fizzy slightly pink head that fizzles out. Not much lacing.

Smell: Raspberry and more raspberry

Taste: Color me impressed. Raspberry flavor really takes control in this brew, and that isn't a bad thing.

Mouthfeel: Pretty decent. A little fizzy for my taste, but it has its place here.

Drinkability: Very refreshing and light. I never thought that a fruit beer could be a session beer, but this one surely is.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that this is a beer everyone must get his/her hands on, nor will I say that this is Great Divide's best offering, but it is a damned good beer. With temperatures here in North Texas in the high 90s and low 100s, this beer is welcome company.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2005 02:00:34 | More by goochpunch

atr2605

New York

4.23/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-pours a slightly hazy reddish amber color with an off white head with good retention
S-raspberry,oats, and hay. low hop aroma
T-Wow, a really great symmetry of malt and raspberry, the hops provide a nice bitterness and the beer finishes clean with a hint of raspberry in the finish too
M-medium-light bodied
O-One of the best fruit beers I have ever had. The raspberry is apparent but does not overwhelm the basic ale flavors either. Highly recommend

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 03:09:20 | More by atr2605

Beer4Baltimore

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

- from the notes
12 ounce bottles
A - quite red, more than I expected.
S - smells of rasberries of course dominating the aroma giving some tarness.
T - Rasberries dominate with a malty background.
M - Clean and smooth with the right amount of carbonation.
D - Very drinkable for a fruity beer. My wife likes this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 23:20:43 | More by Beer4Baltimore

Beervis

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy reddish colour from the 12oz bottle with a thin head and lots of lace.

Smell is fruity raspberry and sweet, tart wheat.

Taste is total raspberry. The malt is light, the hops are light, but they basically balance out the brew to let the fruit shine. The mouthfeel is very creamy and tart, and mouthfilling. The finish is long and grainy, with really nice fruit notes making you take another sip.

This is one heck of a fruit ale. It's exactly what I expected and more. It's fruity, but not too fruity. Well done!!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2005 22:15:18 | More by Beervis

Ellbert

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: A dark red/brownish color with a tiny head that goes away fast leaving a nice lace all the way around the glass.

Smell: Malty sweetness with raspberries.

Taste: Great raspberry flavor with suble hops at the end. A nice balance.

A good beer to drink anytime.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2003 02:11:26 | More by Ellbert

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle with a bottled on date of DEC 24 2009, what were those crazy folks in Denver doing working on Christmas Eve? Pours a clear, reddish-brown color with a fluffy cap of pink tinted foam. Retention is good and lacing just ok.

Raspberry aroma on this beer is fantastic. Fresh and clean with a little bit of darker malt in evidence.

I really like the fact that GD did not use a wheat beer for the base, lends some uniqueness to the brew. Seems like it is a mild brown/amber ale as some rich caramel malt is evident in the background. The raspberry flavor is just strong enough without being overpowering. Has a thirst quenching tartness followed up by a lightly floral hop bitterness. This is one of my favorite fruit beers and will continue to buy at least a sixer of this every time summer rolls around.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2010 19:09:50 | More by twiggamortis420

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Notes from a trip to Colorado and Wyoming - May 2002 Purchased in Jackson Hole, WY.

Color is a really nice deep red like that of raspberry or strawberry, very bright, with a nice foamy head that had a pinkish hue. Smells of raspberry of course and has some malt in the background. Taste is more of the same, slammin huge amount of really nice raspberries and is coated in with a caramel malt backing thats a nice candy smooth sweetness. Feels like raspberry juice with a kick, very tart and sweet of raspberry. Again, another drinkable raspberry flavored delight that would go well with light lunches or appetizes.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2003 10:46:18 | More by tavernjef

mgdeth

Montana

4.13/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - The color is really reminiscent of cranberry juice. The beer's head is off-white and doesn't last too long. You can see raspberry remnants in the beer, which is cool. Highly carbonated.

Smell - This beer has a very subtle fruity smell. No hop or malt aroma jumps out at me.

Taste - The raspberry flavor is fairly sharp, but is balanced well with the sweetness, which is not strong. Raspberry is what this beer is all about. Hop bitterness also help provide some balance. Without the raspberry, the beer would probably be bitter in its own right.

Mouthfeel - This beer is light bodied, but the carbonation rounds it out. Mouthfeel could be thicker and this would still be a pretty good beer.

Drinkability - A very easy drinker, even with the raspberry bite. Something about this beer makes me want to eat pizza.

Comments - "A beer lover's fruit beer" according to the label, and I agree for the most part. Definitely worth a try, even for those who do not like fruit beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2005 04:04:52 | More by mgdeth

yesyouam

New York

4.13/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great Divide Wild Raspberry Ale is super clear and ruby red with a small white head that quickly dissipates and leaves decent lacing. It has a fresh raspberry aroma-- it's pretty much just raspberry with maybe a hint of grass. It doesn't smell fake. It's medium-light bodied and very smooth with a very crisp clean finish. It's nicely balanced and not sweet. There's caramel malt up front and a nice, wooden, leafy bitterness. The raspberry isn't obnoxious. There's kind of a raspberry leaf aftertaste. What a well done fruit beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 16:10:05 | More by yesyouam

ToasterChef

Maine

4.13/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a cellar temperature bottle into a pint glass. This beer has an interesting appearance. It is very red in color and crystal clear. It has a modest pink head made of large bubbles and foam. I can see a few streams of carbonation rising within. Because of the raspberries in this beer, I can understand why everything has a reddish hue. The beer has the aroma of sweet fruit syrup. It certainly has none of the funk you'd find in a framboise; this is definitely an American fruit beer, and it smells like a decent example of the style, if a tad sweet. It does have a bit of a grassy mustiness below the fruit aroma. Although the aroma has indications of fruit syrup, there are no such indicators in the flavor. This tastes like real fruit, especially in the finish. There is a slight tartness just as I swallow that I like a lot. It also finishes dry, kind of like a white wine, but without any of the tannins I associate with that beverage. There is a bit of sticky coat left after each swallow, but it isn't a thick coat, just one that's hard to get rid of. There is lots of carbonation as well, which seems normal for this style. The body is of medium intensity. The beer is pretty drinkable, for the style. I don't think I ever feel like having a lot of fruit beers, but this one seems like it would be most welcome on a hot summer afternoon. Under those circumstances, I can see wanting a few bottles at my disposal. Otherwise, one or two glasses of this would be satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 21:59:30 | More by ToasterChef